Staff

Stephen Glaude

President and CEO

Stephen “Steve” Glaude applies his diverse leadership experiences in government, the private sector, and nonprofits as President & CEO of the Coalition for Nonprofit Housing and Economic Development (CNHED).

Steve previously served as the director of community affairs for the District of Columbia. In this role, he oversaw 13 agencies for the mayor, including the offices of Latino Affairs, Asian Affairs, African Affairs, Religious Affairs, Veterans Affairs, Women’s Policy, Youth Advisory Council, Grants and Partnerships and others. Prior to this post he served as director of constituent services for then-DC Council Chairman Vincent Gray.

Glaude has led two associations: the National Congress for Community Economic Development and the National Association of Neighborhoods. At the NCCED, he more than quadrupled annual funding in two years and created National Community Economic Development Day, a nationally-coordinated public education effort. He was responsible for fundraising, public education, legislative affairs, staff development and more. At the National Association of Neighborhoods, he managed a national trade association with more than 2,000 members and was responsible for negotiating federal contracts and conducting critical research for the White House. Under his leadership, membership grew by 300 percent.

In between those posts, Glaude worked at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, serving as deputy assistant secretary for planning and community development and as deputy undersecretary for intergovernmental relations. There, he was HUD’s liaison to the nation’s mayors and governors, and he played a key role in the passage of the National Affordable Housing Act, which was the first housing legislation in 37 years. He has also served as special assistant to the president in the Office of National Drug Control Policy at the White House, where he advised the president on demand-reduction strategies for substance abuse problems.

Mr. Glaude served as president of Men Can Stop Rape, Inc., where he worked with the U.S. Department of Defense to develop a comprehensive sexual assault strategy for the five branches of the U.S. Military. Glaude has managed more than $8 billion in federal grants programs. As a non-profit fundraiser, he has directly raised more than $50 million and has worked with clients to raise more than $500 million in resources. He has received the highest honors within academia, government and the community.

Steve Glaude is a native Washingtonian, a father of three, and a proud graduate of Morgan State University.

Evette Banfield

Vice President of Economic Development Policy and Wealth Building Strategies

Evette facilitates the execution of CNHED’s inclusive economic development agenda, reflecting a commitment made in our strategic plan. Her primary focus is on coalition building, policy and advocacy. Since coming on board at the end of 2014, Evette has led the creation of five working groups reflecting the priorities and needs of CNHED’s members and the broader economic development field. Evette brings a wealth of diverse community building and revitalization experience, working on the ground with residents and community-based groups as well as with the government, private and philanthropic sectors to facilitate system-level changes and targeted local solutions. Prior to CNHED, Evette worked with the consulting firm Urban Ventures Group, where she designed and implemented planning processes; analyzed and synthesized information; and identified suitable and adaptable solutions to complex issues and problems by working with community stakeholders.
Over her career, she has held roles in project management and coordination, and conducted numerous multi-year evaluations on national programs as well as conducted smaller scale assessments involving intensive fieldwork in individual communities. Evette holds a B.A. in government from St. Lawrence University and a Master’s degree in urban policy and management from The New School. Evette is a foodie and enjoys traveling.

Scott Bruton

Vice President of Housing Policy

Scott Bruton facilitates CNHED’s housing committee and working groups to develop and advance CNHED policy and advocacy positions on housing issues. Scott has served organizations working for social justice and community development for over a decade. As a research assistant at the Center for Urban Policy Research, Scott was a coauthor of a multi-year study of housing and economic development issues on American Indian reservations. His recently completed dissertation focuses on housing and economic development on the Navajo reservation in the Southwest. Prior to joining CNHED, Scott worked at Housing Counseling Service, Inc. (HCS), where he became an expert in the District of Columbia’s housing policies and tenants’ rights. Through his work at HCS, Scott was an active participant in the DC Preservation Network and the CNHED Tenant Purchase Working Group. Scott has a BA in history from Washington University (St. Louis), an MA in history from the University of Oklahoma, and a PhD in history from Rutgers University. Scott earned his Housing Development Finance Professional Certificate from the National Development Council in October 2014.

Felicia Fort

Vice President of Business OperationsFelicia Fort is responsible for many of the internal tasks of the organization, including managerial accounting (bookkeeping), IT, HR and office management, as well as membership intake (i.e. retention) and volunteer/interning. Felicia holds an MBA from Trinity University and a mathematics degree from Benedict College. Felicia is a well-rounded leader and is an active volunteer with many of our partners including SOME, Calvary Women’s Services, and Martha’s Table. Felicia is an active board member with the nonprofit A Charter School and Single’s Ministry with GMCHC. Felicia runs her own tutoring business (One Step Closer: Finding the Fun in Math), donating a portion of the profits to college scholarships. In addition, Felicia revels in adventure, including skydiving, obstacle courses, zip lining, and more.

Zach Komes

Director of Wealth Building StrategiesZach Komes facilitates CNHED’s new initiative that aims to give African American-owned, District small businesses deeper ability to grow and thrive by enabling contracting opportunities with targeted universities and hospitals, or “anchor institutions.” Immediately prior to joining CNHED, Zach provided research, writing, and advisory support to Chicago Anchors for a Strong Economy, a network of prominent Chicago institutions using their procurement, investment, and hiring power for neighborhood development. As a student leader in the Roosevelt Network, he co-led his chapter’s strategic advocacy campaigns that convinced his university to invest $250,000 in a local community development financial institution, and later to convene a task force on local supplier diversity. At City First Enterprises, Zach provided research and evaluation support for an effort that aimed to connect DC institutions with green, wealth-building businesses. At George Washington University (GWU), he drafted a report for the university’s civic engagement office that analyzed current university inclusive development efforts and recommended opportunities for expansion. He holds a B.A. in Economics from GWU. Zach enjoys traveling and has recently taken up rock climbing.

Precious Rideout

Director of Planning & Operations

Precious Rideout provides logistic, communications,and operational support for the execution of programs, training, and events. Prior to joining CNHED, Precious worked on Capitol Hill for the five years for the U.S. Senate Majority Leader, first as a staff assistant in the Leader’s Democratic Leadership office where she provided administrative assistance to the Senator and his senior staffers and gained insight into the daily working of Congress. Precious was then promoted to serve as the program coordinator for the Senate Democratic Diversity Initiative, a resource office designed to assist and recruit diverse candidates for full-time employment on the Hill. A native of Las Vegas, Nevada, Precious graduated from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas with a BA in criminal justice and counseling. During school, she also worked for the City of Las Vegas as a leisure services programmer, developing curriculum and activities for students in afterschool programs in low socioeconomic neighborhoods.

Ginger Rumph

Vice President & Chief Operating Officer

Ginger Rumph engages in all facets of CNHED’s policy, advocacy and capacity building work, in addition to strengthening operations. She develops and executes, in partnership with her colleagues, a fundraising plan that includes maintaining relationships and seeking new opportunities for CNHED. She is also responsible for overseeing and executing an overall communications strategy for CNHED, in accordance with its strategic plan and advocacy priorities. She is part of the financial management team, assists with Board communications and internal operations, helps ensure CNHED is line with the strategic plan, and facilitates the Family Services Working Group. Throughout her career, Ginger has worked with a wide range of institutions and individuals to support affordable housing, workforce and business development, sustainable neighborhoods, engaged communities, and strong organizations. In her hometown of Pittsburgh, PA, she held leadership positions in two CDC coalitions that provided shared staffing services, served as a real estate developer, and worked for the county economic development department. Prior to CNHED, Ginger worked for Enterprise Community Partners in Columbia, MD, as director of knowledge building. She holds a Master of Public Administration, Nonprofit Management and a Master of Social Work, Community Organizing, from the University of Pittsburgh. Ginger is a former Peace Corps volunteer.

Awesta Sarkash

Director of Advocacy

Awesta is responsible for facilitating the development and execution of CNHED’s budget and policy advocacy strategies across the broad range of community development issues our members care about. She will help to expand CNHED’s historic wins for the whole continuum of affordable housing– amplifying the impact of our highly successful Housing For All Campaign– and expand complementary advocacy efforts around workforce development, small business entrepreneurship, and neighborhood-based commercial corridors. Prior to joining CNHED, Awesta served as the grassroots and advocacy manager for the American Land Title Association (ALTA), a national trade association representing the voice of the abstract and title insurance industry. Awesta Sarkash received her Master’s in political science from American University in Washington, D.C. She also served as assistant director at the Center for Congressional and Presidential Studies. Awesta organized the day-to-day activities for both the Public Affairs and Advocacy Institute and the European Public Affairs and Advocacy Institute in Brussels. Originally from Afghanistan, Awesta grew up in Albuquerque, New Mexico, making her an expert on spicy food and Breaking Bad. Finally, if you’re a fan of the Harry Potter series, talk with Awesta; she has read her favorite book The Prisoner of Azkaban six times and watched her favorite movie The Order of the Phoenix twelve times.